Katherine Dib, Mukisa Kakembo and Jessica France Melanson epitomize one of Mahatma Gandhi most iconic quotes: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
The three students are a part of DALConnects, a free leadership program offered through the university. Since its inception three years ago, DALConnects has provided students the option to choose from one of four paths — Foundations, Career, Social Justice and Organizations — with the goal of improving leadership skills and enhancing community engagement and volunteer experience.
After each receiving a certificate from one of the pathways, Katherine, Mukisa and Jessica yearned for more. Over the summer they participated as part of the program’s planning committee program’s committee and were given the resources to create a fifth pathway: DALConnects World Wide.
“We started with the idea of taking a group of 10 students to a foreign country and came up with the name,” says Jessica. “Now we’re here.”
Headed abroad
What she means by “here” is the group less than two months away from its DALConnects World Wide pilot project, sending its first group of students overseas. This April, nine students will be traveling to Nicaragua as part of a grassroots initiative. Partnering with social enterprise Me to We, the group plans to take part in community-building projects, including potentially the building of a classroom onto an existing school structure or the construction of a water sanitization project.
“We chose Nicaragua for a number of reasons,” says Katherine. “I think the fact is that it’s the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, so it’s definitely in need of help.
“When you go to a different country, it’s interesting to see how much effort goes into production. I’m hoping we might be able to see how or what they do might connect to Dal or what we buy here, so that’s what I’m excited for.”
Another thing the students will have in mind during their journey is the topic of global citizenship. For Mukisa, joining DALConnects was an attempt to not lose the keen interest in volunteering she had developed throughout her high school years. She believes the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua will allow her to expand on her previous community engagements to learn what it means to be a global citizen.
“It’s easy to get caught up in every day life and the nitty-gritty of work and school, but there’s so much more going on in the world and so many people in need,” she says. “I think we have a responsibility to be aware of that and help out in any way that we can. This will give us a first-hand experience and a different perspective on how we live.”
Finding support
In preparation, the students have been participating in workshops that focus on various aspects of their trip, including Spanish lessons, learning more about global citizenship and tackling the question of culture shock. Following their return, they will need to complete a reflective assignment to earn their certificate.
They’ve also been facilitating fundraising initiatives to help offset the costs of the journey. The cost of the trip is $3,350 per student, which includes airfare, accommodations and the cost of the build. Using the ProjectDal website, the group has raised nearly $5,000, and the students have also received received $1,000 in grants from the President’s Office and the Career and Leadership Development Centre. With all these fundraising efforts so far, every student only has a third left of their trip to pay out-of-pocket.
“It’s crazy to be a part of the first group that goes,” says Jessica. “I’m hoping that this pilot project turns into a unique opportunity for Dalhousie students in the years to come.”
To contribute to this exciting grassroots initiative, you can check out the group’s Project DAL page.
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